What is the USA equivalent of Mumsnet?

[WestleyAndButtockUp]

My impression is that Mumsnet is the 'market leader' in the UK: gets referred to on Have I Got News For You, quoted (and ripped off) constantly in newspapers etc etc.

Then Netmums is second, is that correct?

Anyway, is there a USA equivalent of Mumsnet? Or is the country too large, and there's only state-by-state, or regional-focused, parenting websites?

There are tons of US parenting websites but I do not think any of them are as powerful as MN is in the UK. Yes, probably due to the size of the US and the diversity.

I am not even aware of any state by state ones but I did not have children when I lived in the US. I just know that no parenting websites are ever referenced in the news etc the way MN is in the UK.

So what are some of the main ones. Are there any that my friends in the USA would definitely know the name of, even if they don't use them?

And are they similar to Mumsnet in that parenting is only one aspect to it: there's plenty of room for heartbreak and for talking bollocks as well?

I think most of them are multi-aspect. Delphi has several different ones that cover various parenting issues including ones that are like MN in that they are parenting and general chat.

I can't think of one that is as well known over there as MN is over here, though.

Bumping out of curiosity, now that the East coast of America has begun their Wednesday.

I used to participate in some iVillage forums (I think it was iVillage) - some parenting, some religion debates, flavour not too different to some of what we get here though IIRC less sweary and earthy.

Altdotlife has some of the breadth of discussion, but I wouldn't say it has the clout, and they're all a bit neurotic.

IVillage was bought out by Delphi, actually.

Some are worse, Riven!

Hi - my mate in LA is struggling with good affordable daycare - does anyone have any updates on MN type of communities in the US where she can ask fellow working parents?

My sister is on JP Moms. She thinks it's a bit "crunchy" ( i.e. populated by granola-eating new agers).

Sorry, meant to say JP Moms is in Boston.

Mothering.com - a bit 'earnest' but you may like that sort of thing. Just don't expect a laugh.

I don't think there is one. I live in Canada and the closest thing we have are the forums on one our National parenting magazine's websites. It is populated by humourless dullards. You can't swear or give people biscuits or admit to enjoying a glass of wine or three of an evening. I don't like to think what would happen if you told someone they were being unreasonable...I suspect that the site would crash .

Don't expect a laugh is so true.
Mothering.com is full of weirdos (saying that as I am probably one, too).
MN is SO NOT a Granola place. Some of you are lentil weavers, but few are truly "crunchy" (I loathe granola being called crunchy, btw, it's just so wrong).
On MDC:
Viruses don't cause illness, but wrong diet does (typical sort of statement made, not challenged, debate is not allowed anyway)
You are seriously screwed up if you don't want to HE your kid.
Stone Age Diet afficionados.
Mothers are referred to as "Mamas"
No swearing
The Car Seat topic only has posts from RF zealots, bragging how they'll keep their child RF past 8th birthday if possible & just no other perspective or way of doing carseats acknowledged mind MN is going that way, too
No discussion allowed about living persons, not even dead ones most of the time
UP is quite popular
YOU LOT WOULD HATE IT.
MDC at least has tribal areas, can be good for local tips, links.
And in some ways it's nice that tolerance is so forced, you can be extremely weird there & nobody snurks at you about it.

There used to be "MomsWhoThink" which was as close as you could get to MN type intellectual outlook, but I don't think it exists anymore(?). They say UrbanBaby (NYC site only) is most similar to MN in sarky tone.

A question,without sounding like a grump when people are stressed out and they want to relax,where are the discussions like music/comedy/films/tv/
etc..i don't see any.Does that mean i cant start a discussion of that sort?

Have a bath and a cup of tea Alan.

Go into _chat, and stop bumping age old threads.

What make you think i want either?what i do want is my damn thread back!

I don't think you're going to last long around here Alan.

It doesn't worry me one jot,i have many other places i can go to where i am
appreciated-i am off to a flyer,posting on 1 right now-ok?

Have a look-eh?
www.goodreads.com/group/show/112711-al-s-chill-out-lounge

Don't take the brown acid.

Ok. What the fuck just happened here?

Backs out of thread!